Many people know about Section 8 housing vouchers. Far fewer know about the Family Unification Program (FUP), a special housing assistance program that can help prevent children from entering foster care or help reunite families when housing problems are standing in the way.
The program can also help some young adults who are aging out of foster care avoid homelessness.
If you are struggling with housing and involved with child welfare services, this is a program worth knowing about.
What Is the Family Unification Program?
The Family Unification Program is a federal housing assistance program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The program provides Housing Choice Vouchers (often called Section 8 vouchers) to two groups:
- Families whose lack of adequate housing is a primary reason a child may be placed in foster care.
- Families whose lack of housing is delaying a child’s return home from foster care.
- Young adults ages 18 through 24 who are leaving foster care and are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
According to HUD, the goal is to reduce family separation caused by housing instability and help vulnerable young adults transition successfully into independent living.
Who Can Get Help?
There are two categories of people who can receive help from this program: families and young adults who are aging out of foster care.
Families
A family may qualify if a public child welfare agency determines that inadequate housing is a primary factor in:
- The imminent placement of a child into out-of-home care, or
- A delay in returning a child home from foster care.
There is no limit on how long eligible families can receive support from these vouchers.
The program is not designed for every family experiencing housing problems. The housing issue must be directly connected to a foster care placement or reunification case.
Young Adults Leaving Foster Care
Some young adults may qualify if they:
- Are between ages 18 and 24,
- Have left foster care or are preparing to leave foster care,
- Are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and
- Meet other Housing Choice Voucher eligibility requirements.
Eligible young adults can only receive assistance through this program for 36 months. In some cases, an extension for another 24 months may be available under the Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities provisions. if they meet certain requirements.
How Much Help Does the Program Provide?
Family Unification Program vouchers work similarly to traditional Housing Choice Vouchers.
The voucher helps pay rent for housing in the private market, allowing participants to rent from private landlords who accept vouchers. The family or youth typically pays a portion of their income toward rent while the voucher covers the remainder up to program limits.
Can You Apply Directly?
Usually, no. This is one of the biggest misconceptions about the program.
Most people cannot simply submit an application directly to HUD.
Instead, the process generally starts with a referral from a public child welfare agency. The child welfare agency determines whether the family or youth appears eligible and then refers them to a participating Public Housing Authority (PHA).
The housing authority then determines whether the applicant meets Housing Choice Voucher eligibility requirements.
Additional Services for Foster Youth
Young adults participating in the program may also be offered supportive services, including:
- Life skills training
- Educational counseling
- Employment assistance
- Housing counseling
- Lease compliance education
These services are intended to help young adults successfully transition to independent living. Participation in supportive services generally cannot be required as a condition of receiving the voucher.
How to Learn More
Eligibility and voucher availability depend on local program participation, funding levels, and individual circumstances. Public Housing Authorities and child welfare agencies make the official eligibility and referral determinations.
You can learn more about the Family Unification Program directly from HUD:
You can also contact:
- Your local Public Housing Authority
- Your state’s child welfare agency
- Your local foster care transition program
If housing instability is affecting a foster care case, ask specifically whether Family Unification Program vouchers are available in your area.
Relief Recap
If a family is at risk of losing custody of a child because they don’t have safe or stable housing, this little-known voucher program may help them stay together. The program can also help young adults leaving foster care pay rent and avoid homelessness while they get established on their own. Many eligible families never hear about this assistance, so it’s worth asking local child welfare agencies and housing authorities whether Family Unification Program vouchers are available in your area.
